Hear The Call of Jesus
Luke 5:1-11
Introduction
The public ministry of Jesus is not a solo mission. He needed and called disciples, some of which became Apostles, and they carried on the work that he founded and empowered. Even today disciples of Jesus are carrying the banner of Christ into a dark and lost world. That’s our mission.
In that sense, as we see the calling of the first disciples, we are sensing that He is calling us into his mission to save the world. Do we hear the call? Are we willing to take first steps to following the Master? Are we continuing in the mission?
If Jesus is calling you today, will you answer? The entire story of Jesus is, in a sense, a calling out to all of humanity that says, “I love you, I was willing to die to save you from your sins; I’m preparing a place for you.”
Many reject that call, but what about you today?
Our text is Luke 5:1-11
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Hear the Call of Jesus!
1. He Calls Through the Word (Luke 5:1)
How does God speak to us today? How can we hear from Him? God can speak to us in any number of ways. Some say dreams, hunches, feelings, visions, voices. The surest way to know God’s will is to read it in the Scriptures. Every other way is subjective - and possibly not a message from God at all. The word of God is a sure source of God’s wisdom. When Jesus preached, he preached the word of God.
These people were hungry for more of what Jesus had to say and teach. The people were crowding him, forcing him to conscript a nearby boat. They were eager to hear! God make us hungry for the Word! We have the privilege of owning a copy of the Word of God - how do we honor that privilege? Disciples of Jesus want more and more of Him. Jesus is calling you today through the Word, will you answer? Are you listening?
2. He Calls With Determination (Luke 5:2-3)
The fishermen were washing their nets. They had fished all night and were washing their nets. Exhausted and not too happy for this stranger to want to get out on the water to hold a revival! Peter, Andrew, James and John had spent the night fishing with dragnets. It was backbreaking work, casting and drawing in a 100 foot net over and over again. Even though they had worked so hard through the night they did not catch a fish. So at dawn they beached their boats, ate breakfast, and under the warming sun engaged in the tedious and necessary process of washing, mending, and arranging their nets for drying. Once dry, they would be folded and placed back in the boats for the coming night. On this life-changing day, the large crowd was pressing around Jesus.
Jesus is determined to speak to the crowd. Jesus was determined to share the good news of the kingdom with as many as he could. How determined is Jesus to speak to us? Are we listening?
3. He Calls With Demands (Luke 5:4-7)
There are many great fish stories in the Bible (including one prophet who took a three-night stay in the whale motel!) But this is not just a great fish story!
Jesus’ request to go back out to fishing in the deep is met with a little resistance by Peter. Peter always says what we are thinking - grateful for him! Peter speaks from the voice of experience, he knows there are no fish … he is exasperated … but he obeys. Jesus always makes demands of us to help us grow and understand more about him. His teachings do not always make sense to us. They challenge us and grow us.
When we obey the demands of Jesus, we will see God at work in our lives … answering prayers … reaching out … growing our spirit, putting us in a position to serve him in greater ways.
How many of us are praying with a spirit that expects God to provide a blessing? When we are disciples of Jesus He can use our obedience, our spirit, our attitudes, and our works to bring about His will in surprising ways!
4. He Calls With A Mission (Luke 5:8-10)
Don’t we understand Peter’s statement? In the presence of Jesus, he sensed his own failure and weakness. Only when we humble ourselves before God can we know the saving power of Jesus Christ. Romans 3:10 “There is no one righteous, not even one.”
Even so, Jesus uses us in spite of our weakness! (Luke 5:11) Not only did Simon give himself over to Christ, so did the other fishermen there. With Jesus as our King, there’s a new assignment. He’s going to make us fishers of men. We adopt the perspective of Christ - seeking, reaching, loving other people in hopes that they also will follow Jesus.
Conclusion: Jesus calls us to follow Him! To be fishers of men!
Cast Your Nets!
- Pray for God to put one person on your heart to reach.
- Watch for Open Doors - the ideal setting may never come.
- Take Jesus at His Word. How often have we really cast our nets the second, third, fourth time the time when we were exhausted and defeated? Cast again!
-I believe there are many people around us who would say yes! When someone obeys the Gospel, we do not know the thousands of ways that the net was cast throughout their lives.
Jesus Calls Us through the Word, With Determination, With specific demands, and with a prevailing mission!
Following Jesus means that We Hear The Call and answer.
- in initial obedience - repentance, baptism
- in ongoing obedience
-Rejection of sin and embracing a holy life
-Spending time in the Word and Prayer
-Working with others who follow Jesus
If Jesus is calling you today, will you answer?
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Discussion Questions
1. Aside from the pressing crowd, why do you think Jesus chose to teach from Simon's boat? What does this tell us about His approach to teaching?
2. Jesus taught from “the word” - what would that have been? What is the danger of “hearing” from God in situations and settings that do not involve the Word? Does that mean that it never happens that way?
3. In verse 5, Simon says, "Because you say so, I will let down the nets." What can we learn from Simon's response to Jesus' instruction?
4. How do you think the fishermen felt after catching such a large number of fish? What significance does this miracle hold for their faith?
5. Why do you think Simon Peter fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" after the miracle? How does this fit into the overall character of Peter?
6. How did the fishermen's lives change after this encounter with Jesus? What does it mean for us to "leave everything and follow Him" in our daily lives?
7. What are the areas in our lives where we need to show more trust and obedience to God?
Next Week: Luke 6:17-49 The Sermon of Jesus
